Digital collage

Artist Statement 

Beyond all measure is a digital collage piece merging ideas of religion, cultism, and internet media. Utilizing in-game screenshots from the original Counter-Strike and heavy Photoshop manipulation, a scene of a strange divine apparition is presented to the viewer. Close inspection of the text reveals vague instructions from the angelic figure, urging the player to “eliminate their targets.” Other elements include an additional screen displaying two out of three targets eliminated, and a display graphic showing “relics” that the “player” has collected. In this work, I wanted to create a prominent sense of unease and confusion. I designed this collage with the intention of the viewer closely inspecting each element of the work to piece together the narrative. I wanted to evoke the strange websites and forums of the unmoderated early internet, and their bizarre writing and imagery. I also wanted to play with the idea of a supernatural appearance through video games, and a strange, abstract force hijacking the “player” to complete a task. I heavily altered and layered images and textures in Photoshop to achieve rich depth in the piece. I drew inspiration from the animated series “Serial Experiments: Lain”, the artworks of Scorpy, a contemporary online streamer and graphic designer, and other assorted 90’s website designs.